Calls to ban duck shooting at Cairn Curran Reservoir
A letter co-signed by a consortium of environmental community groups has been sent to Mount Alexander Shire and Central Goldfields Shires seeking their support to have duck shooting banned in the Cairn Curran Reservoir area. Signatories say the activity is no longer appropriate for safety reasons, and the area would be better served as a sanctuary to protect threatened species.
Opinion: Could we – should we grow more food in our towns?
Bernice Shepherd. In the Adelaide Parklands, the annual gathering of Greek and Italian locals spreading blankets and bashing olive trees is quite the spectacle. Olive trees proliferate around that city and no self-respecting ex-European would dream of letting that bounty go to waste ... In Casino, we have the Junbung Walkway bush tucker trail ... But could we go further?
Mayor, councillors hear concerns of remote base
Cook Shire mayor Peter Scott and two councillors have heard the concerns of residents living in the council’s smallest locality. Around eight Portland Roads residents – or Iron Range if you want to be technical about the actual locality – attended a community forum last Tuesday to voice their concerns ... One of the hot topics was the desire for better water access in the area.
Local Girl Guides celebrate 80th birthday with open day
Tennant Creek Girl Guides celebrated its 80th birthday on Saturday morning with an Open Day at the Showgrounds. Everyone was welcome to come along and see some of the history of Guides in Tennant Creek, and also to get a look at what the girls get to do under the careful guidance of their leaders, not to mention the special treat of being able to take a ride in the Bushfires vehicle courtesy of Keven Stout.
Cup weekend
There have been two fashion parades, one at Panacea Estate, with items from Trés Doux Trés Beau, featuring beautiful clothing from the Duchess of Walmer. The other involved Beaton’s Stores and Poppy’s of Maldon displaying their gorgeous clothing at the Maldon Neighbourhood Centre to raise funds for the McGrath Foundation as part of the ‘Paint the Town Pink’ fundraiser.
Power: Neighbours see red over greener energy
The proposal for a battery at McKees Hill has neighbour against neighbour. This week 20 residents met on the rise of Auckram Rd outside the new site proposed for the Lismore Battery Energy Storage System (Lismore BESS) to discuss what action they would take to oppose the project.
Wheel Cactus field day in Maldon Historic Reserve
Lea Mead. The Cactus Warriors invite you to join us on Sunday 31 October at 10.30am along Mount Back Road where we will be assisting Parks Victoria to remove Wheel Cactus plants from our sensational Maldon Historic Reserve. We’ll be armed with digging hoes and buckets and will concentrate on digging up small wheel cactus plants in an area along Mount Back Road.
Know your local – Garry Leung
On interviewing Gary I realised he isn’t, in technical terms, a resident of Maldon. However, I think given Gary has given each of us advice on coughs and colds, sores and nappy rash for quite a few years, we can make an exception. Gary bought the pharmacy on April Fools’ Day in 2009. He found out about the sale of the pharmacy through his networks and came up to have a look during the Folk Festival in 2008.
Anti-mining debate finishes in a ‘draw’
Geoff Helisma. Debate about the Clarence Catchment Alliance’s (CCA) petition calling for the cessation of mineral mining and exploration in the Clarence River catchment took place in the NSW Legislative Assembly on Thursday October 14 ... The petition was lodged by Lismore MP Janelle Saffin (Labor) ... Speaking against the petition was Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis (Nationals).
Renewable Newstead
A small-scale solar farm on Newstead’s outskirts is still on track for completion by 2022, albeit, a downsized version. After community consultation and feedback from the energy industry, the community group behind the project down-scaled it from 9 mega watts (MW) to 5MW ... The project is run by a group of dedicated volunteers with a range of expertise in business, PR, communication and project management.
From the 1930s novel, “Psalmist of the Dawn” – local activity: rat hunting
Chris Murray. From the mid-1920s until 1941, when the palm seed exports collapsed during World War II, ratting was no recreational pastime, but an obligation for all Islanders who received income from palm seed sales via the Island Board’s shareholding system (and that included all Island men, women and children) ... Mary Marlowe takes up the story of a typical rat hunt in some detail ... The dogs, all three of them, were quivering at the rumps and lifting their forepaws from the ground in anticipation of jumping for the rat the instant it should appear out of the banyan log ...
Final draft of NSW voluntary assisted dying bill triggers community consultation
Community consultation has begun on the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2021 after Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson received the final draft from Independent Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich.
“Harrod’s” raises almost $9k
Chris Oldfield. After raising almost $9000 for the community, Lucindale’s Op Shop has grown out of its store, and relocated. Affectionately known as “Harrod’s of Lucindale”, several women have been working around the clock setting up the Lucy Loves Again second-hand community store in the former ANZ Bank building.
Swell Sisters ”¦ locked down, but not out
Geoff Helisma. A small team of Lower Clarence women have found a great way to do charitable work while they exercise among the waves. ‘Swell Sisters’ – Clair Morton, Shannon Grainger, Emy Alexander and Georgie Smith – are on a mission to raise funds for SurfAid ¸ which provides “a hand up, rather than a handout, to people in remote communities connected to us through surfing,” says Clair.
Locals support Afghan community
Gabriell Duykers. Naracoorte locals are opening their doors to members of our Afghan community in a show of solidarity. On August 21, more than 60 locals gathered at the Naracoorte Migrant Resource Centre to extend their support for Afghan migrants living in Naracoorte. Attendees listened to migrants share their struggles and concerns, as many recounted stories from their time living under the previous Taliban rule.
From the 1930s novel, “Psalmist of the Dawn” – garfish netting at Old Settlement Beach
Chris Murray. Mary Marlowe’s novel, Psalmist of the Dawn (published in 1934 but probably written in 1931) is set on Lord Howe and populated with real places, activities and people – that latter only slightly disguised behind pseudonyms ... Garfishing was an important part of the Islanders’ semi-subsistence lifestyle before World War II. Large quantities of gars were caught not only for local consumption but also for sale to passing vessels.
Supermarket chair thanks volunteers for dramatic crime decline at store
The chair of Tennant Creek’s relief supermarket has thanked the hard work and dedication of the Jurnkkurakurr Volunteers action group for a dramatic decline in theft and vandalism at the store and the 24-hour BP service station ... Volunteers, including Traditional Owners and other community leaders, now sit outside the BP and supermarket every night, talking to youth wandering the streets and encouraging them to go home.
Community portraits during isolation on the Island
At the Public Hall on 12, 13 and 14 March there will be an exhibition of our community portraits taken for the album Isolation open to everyone on the Island.
$50,000 union donation for Rappville bus project
"It is something I want to be part of," Electrical Trades Union national secretary Allen Hicks said at the Rappville Pub on Thursday. Allen flew from Sydney to announce a $50,000 donation towards a community bus for Rappville. The Rappville Social committee has been fundraising for a bus to pick up school children to increase student numbers at Rappville Public School and to take older people on shopping trips to Casino. The 22-seater bus they plan to buy will have disability access and will cost $156,000.
